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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975188">The Bookworm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour'>thebluesthour</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [61]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Pining, Shyness, Soft Choi Soobin, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Whipped Choi Yeonjun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:13:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Soobin works at a bookstore, and one pink-haired customer keeps coming back to buy books.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [61]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>324</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Bookworm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This request was SO cute thank you so much for sending it in! </p><p>Not edited.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Working in a bookstore was something that Soobin never foresaw himself doing. He knew he had the stereotypical personality for it, he was certainly tall enough to reach even the top shelves, and he easily befriended the bookworms that frequented the shop. He always thought he’d be one of the bookworms though, not the cashier that stood behind the register. Of course, he did more than run transactions. He organised the shelves, unpacked shipments and packed customer orders, and kept the store neat and tidy.</p><p>            There was a little café attached to the shop that was run by a boy close in age to Soobin. He was only a couple years younger, but he was wise beyond his years and ran the café like it was simply an extension of himself. He rarely had someone working with him except for on the weekends, and Hueningkai oftentimes ditched Taehyun to follow Soobin around the back of the store. He was adorably fascinated with seeing all of the limited edition prints and original copies the store owned.</p><p>            That, or he really liked the boxes of donated comics Soobin dropped off at the orphanage down the street every Monday. He never took any of them for himself, but he liked to read one or two before they were sent off. Soobin found it endearing, so he let the boy do as he pleased. He had a great staff, an amazing boss, and it was the perfect college job. His customers were always kind, open to recommendations, and like Soobin himself.</p><p>            Every now and then, someone new would walk in and Soobin would greet them with a bow and offer his assistance should they desire it. Most of them would decline at first, browse for a bit, and then inevitably return to Soobin when they couldn’t find where a specific book was located. Soobin didn’t mind, he prided himself in his ability to remember where almost every single book was. It had taken him months to memorise it all when he first started. Now, it was second nature.</p><p>            It was nearing Christmas holidays, which meant that the bookstore was decorated in beautiful red and golds, ornaments hung on the three Christmas trees they scattered throughout, fairy lights were strung up across the tops of the shelves, and Taehyun had switched over to his holiday specialities in the café.</p><p>            All employees were required to wear little Santa hats, which at first embarrassed Soobin but now just amused him because Taehyun looked so much like an elf wearing it that it was comical. Of course, Taehyun took it all in stride and actually worked with it, styling his hair so it accommodated the hat.</p><p>            His boyfriend, a boy a year younger than Soobin named Beomgyu, also find it rather adorable so that probably helped curb any animosity Taehyun might have felt towards Soobin for the teasing.</p><p>            Soobin really did love his job and his friends.</p><p> </p><p>            It was nearing closing, and Soobin’s eyes were hurting. He had forgotten to put in his contacts that morning and his glasses had broken ages ago. He had spent the day squinting, everything just slightly out of focus, and now it had caught up to him. He blinked rapidly a few times as he looked at the spines of the books in front of him.</p><p>            He looked back down to his inventory list, checking off the books on the shelf. He yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before shuffling down to keep marking off books. Inventory was always so tedious, but thankfully Taehyun always closed the café early and came to help. Kai was in the back arranging books for a book signing next week, and even Beomgyu was supposed to come and help.</p><p>            The little bell on the front door jingled and Soobin assumed it was just Beomgyu arriving so he didn’t look over. However, a few seconds later, a slightly raspy and high-pitched voice spoke from behind Soobin. “Um, excuse me, but could you point me in the direction of, um.” There was a pause and the sound of rustling paper and that’s when Soobin turned around, a welcoming smile on his face.</p><p>            The boy standing in front of him, almost as tall as him, was looking down at the paper in his hand but Soobin could tell even from this angle that he was beautiful. He had silky pink hair, slightly wavy, and his cheekbones were just <em>asking </em>to be pinched. He was tall and slender, and Soobin noticed he was naturally standing in fifth position and wondered if he was a dancer.</p><p>            “Um, psychological thrillers. Do you have those?” the boy asked, finally lifting his head. When their eyes met, Soobin smiled more, because the boy really was very pretty. At least, objectively. He could be an asshole, Soobin didn’t know him. But if the face-value was as good as the substance, Soobin looked forward to helping this customer. The boy himself blushed as they looked at each other, cheeks burning pinker than his hair, even reaching up to his ears.</p><p>            Soobin refrained from giggling, he didn’t want to embarrass the boy. He only nodded, tucking his clipboard under his arm. “We do! They’re right this way,” he said, gesturing with his hand. The boy blinked, swallowing noticeably before awkwardly moving out of the way. Soobin hid a grin as he slid past and started walking. He looked over his shoulder to make sure the boy was following, and smiled unabashedly as he saw the boy following along timidly, still blushing. Either he was really shy, or Soobin looked a lot better in the Santa hat than he thought.</p><p>            They rounded the corner and passed several aisles before they arrived at the aisle with all the horror-related genres. Soobin guided the boy to the centre before turning to face him again. “Do you have a specific author you’re looking for?” he asked kindly. The boy’s head snapped up as he realised he was being asked a question, and he gulped again, looking down at the paper. Soobin noticed he was gripping it rather hard. “No, could you, uh—.” His eyes flickered up to Soobin’s, before darting away again. “Do you mind recommending me someone?”</p><p>            Soobin giggled, nodding and dropping down on his knees to get to the lower shelves. He tilted his head up to look at the boy. He was staring at Soobin as if he was an anomaly, lips slightly parted and Soobin waved his hand down. “Come on!” he encouraged. The boy startled a little, blushing yet again, before lowering too.</p><p>            He knelt next to Soobin as Soobin pointed at the books. “Stephen King is always a good choice for psychological thrillers, or James Patterson, but I like King better. I read <em>Misery</em> and it kept me up the whole night after I finished,” he said, chuckling to himself. He looked over at the boy, who appeared to have been staring at Soobin, for he quickly looked at the books, eyes widening in overcompensation. “What’s <em>Misery</em> about?” he asked, voice a little pitchy. Soobin wasn’t used to making people nervous, but he found he enjoyed it a lot. And this boy was <em>stupid </em>pretty, so why not indulge himself? Not like he’d see him again after this. He didn’t seem like a repeat customer. Just someone grabbing a gift and going.</p><p>            Soobin explained the plot of <em>Misery </em>without giving out any spoilers, and he felt successful when the boy decided to purchase it. Soobin pulled the book out of the shelf, made a note in his inventory clipboard, and then stood back up. The boy copied and followed Soobin to the front counter. Soobin sat the book down as he went behind to the register and tapped the screen a few times. He smiled over at the boy, who gave him a small but beautiful smile back.</p><p>            Soobin wished he could ask his name, but it would be inappropriate. So, he just rang him up and packed the book in wrappings, tying it up with string and putting it in a bag. “Here you are!” he said cheerily, holding out the bag. The boy took it, smiling gently. “Thank you so much for all of your help,” he replied. Soobin scoffed, waving it off. “Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>            The boy cracked another smile, holding the bag and standing there awkwardly for a second. Soobin raised a brow, about to ask if he needed anything else, but then the boy bowed sharply and ran out of the store. Soobin blinked a few times, a little confused, but then he quickly got back to work. He felt oddly refreshed after the short encounter, but maybe he just missed being in the presence of a boy that wasn’t his dongsaeng. And an attractive boy at that.</p><p> </p><p>            The next evening, Soobin was on inventory duty again and Taehyun was with him, going down each aisle. They worked quietly, neither one much for conversation when focused, and Soobin appreciated the help. The store was empty, it almost always was on a Monday night, and Soobin had put on some light music to help filter the silence. He heard a series of dings from Taehyun’s apron, and the younger pulled out his phone quickly. “Beomgyu-hyung is on his way, he’s bringing food,” he informed.</p><p>            Soobin sighed in relief, rubbing his stomach and throwing his head back dramatically. “Good, I’m famished,” he moaned. Taehyun laughed as they went back to counting.</p><p>            About ten minutes later, Beomgyu walked in, loudly announcing his presence. Taehyun immediately smiled and put down his clipboard, rushing to meet his boyfriend. Soobin smiled, always glad to see Taehyun so happy. He put his clipboard down too and walked out to the closed café, where Beomgyu was pulling out containers of food. Taehyun was behind the counter, most likely getting drinks for all three, and Soobin went to join them. However, as he was walking, the front door opened and the same boy from yesterday walked in.</p><p>            Soobin’s eyes widened, and he glanced at the café, but Taehyun and Beomgyu paid no mind to him. They were still technically open, so Soobin went up to the boy, smiling politely. “Hello!” he greeted with a bow. “What brings you back here? There wasn’t a problem with the book was there?” He knew there wasn’t a problem—he personally checked each new book as it came in, but he couldn’t figure out a reason that would make the boy return so quickly. The boy shook his head, cheeks dusted pink already. “No, my friend is going to love it. I just, um…have another friend who wants a book for Christmas,” he explained.</p><p>            Soobin ‘ahhed’, wiping his hands on his apron before clasping them together. “Would you like my help? Or I can get lost and you can browse by yourself,” he said, giggling. The boy actually laughed too, and it was such a pretty sound it made Soobin’s ears go a little pink too. He just pulled his Santa hat down more to cover it up. The boy shook his head, smiling openly for the first time at Soobin. “I’d really appreciate your help,” he admitted softly. “My name is Yeonjun, by the way.” Soobin grinned, bowing again. “Hello, Yeonjun-ssi, I’m Soobin, it’s very nice to meet you.”</p><p>            Yeonjun blushed again, before rubbing his palms together and looking around. “I’m thinking, uh…maybe a biography this time?” he pondered. Soobin smiled, nodding and walking off towards the nonfiction aisles. Yeonjun followed obediently, and Soobin hated how giddy he felt. He just hadn’t interacted with someone he found cute in a long time, okay? Leave him be. He also thought he would never see Yeonjun again, so sue him for being a little over-eager. “Are you wanting a biography or an autobiography? Celebrity or historical figure? Pictures or no pictures?” he rambled, spinning to face Yeonjun.</p><p>            He stopped listing questions when he saw how wide Yeonjun’s eyes had gotten. He backtracked then, holding his hand up. “My apologies, Yeonjun-ssi, I tend to get ahead of myself,” he apologised. Yeonjun instantly shook his head, smiling softly. “It’s okay, I like how passionate you are,” he complimented. Now it was Soobin’s turn to blush, and he turned away instantly, walking over to the selection of biographies on American presidents. He wasn’t sure if Yeonjun would like it, or if his friend would like it, but he decided to just go with his gut.</p><p>            The book slid off the shelf easily, and Soobin braced himself before turning and holding it out. Yeonjun glanced at it, before carefully taking it, his fingers brushing Soobin’s. He read the back cover, flipped a few pages, and then smiled, looking back at Soobin. “This is great,” he said. Soobin did a little cheer before walking back to the register, this time walking next to Yeonjun instead of leading him. “Do you think they’ll like it?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.</p><p>            Yeonjun looked over at him, furrowing his brow. “What? Who?” he asked, clueless. Soobin blinked a few times, going to stand behind the counter. “Your friend?” he prompted. Yeonjun blinked a few times, before his eyes widened and he turned so red Soobin was actually kind of concerned. “Oh!” he cried out, too loudly for the quiet space. “Yeah, she’ll love it,” he finished, quieter.</p><p>            Soobin only smiled, ringing him up and packing the book up like he always did. He glanced over at the café, Beomgyu and Taehyun were in their own world, paying zero attention to Soobin and his customer. “Thank you for stopping by again, Yeonjun-ssi,” Soobin said, passing over the bag. Yeonjun smiled, bowing his head a little. He bit his lip, but before Soobin could ask if he needed anything else, the boy dashed out as fast as he had last time. It was a little confusing if Soobin was being honest, but he just shrugged and went to close the store officially.</p><p>           </p><p>            The next time Soobin worked, he was bombarded by Hueningkai, who ran up to him as soon as he walked in and started tugging on his sleeve. “Hyung! A really cute boy came here looking for you yesterday! He was tall and had pink hair and said you knew him? His name is Yeonjun?” he shrieked, eyes bright and hand still pulling on Soobin’s shirt.</p><p>            Soobin pushed his hand off as he worked on unbuttoning his coat, and his cheeks warmed as he processed the news. Had Yeonjun really come by again yesterday and asked for him? Why did he keep coming back? Did all of his friends really love books that much? A tiny part of Soobin’s brain really wanted to believe that he kept coming back for him, but he felt selfish believing that, so he tried not to.</p><p>            “Did you at least provide him with excellent customer service?” he asked in lieu of answering fully. Kai nodded, jumpy. “He didn’t buy anything! He just came to see if you were working! Oh my God, are you dating him?!” The youngest employee turned then, lifting his hands to his mouth to yell in Taehyun’s direction. Soobin stopped him before he could though. “Hyuka! No, I’m not dating him! I hardly know him, he’s just a customer that’s come in twice now to buy books for his friends,” he explained.</p><p>            Kai turned back around, deflating a little at that, shoulders falling. “Oh,” he said simply. And then he smirked. “Well, I don’t think he’s coming back to buy books anymore.” Soobin blushed, hitting Kai and rolling his eyes as he pushed past. “Yah, stop it, it’s not like that,” he mumbled. Except maybe it was kind of like that. Soobin didn’t want to think about it too much. He went to the back to put away his coat and bag, and as he tied his apron around his waist he felt himself hoping that maybe Yeonjun would stop by again that day.</p><p> </p><p>            There was no sign of the boy for most of Soobin’s shift, and he didn’t let himself become sad at that fact, but it did put a slight damper on how happy he had been that morning. Inventory was complete for the quarter, and Soobin was feeling kind of hopeful that Yeonjun would make an appearance. He didn’t want to seem too eager though, so he distracted himself by running the receipts for the week. It happened to be his least favourite task, and his dongsaeng’s were quick to pick up on the fact he was completing it.</p><p>            “Soobin-hyung,” Taehyun said, leaning against the counter and sliding a latte over. “You’re willingly running receipts and you keep staring at the front door as if you’re expecting someone to walk through.” Soobin glared at Taehyun as he begrudgingly accepted the latte and took a long drink. He hated how well the younger could read him, and based off Taehyun’s smirk, he knew he was right.</p><p>            Soobin swallowed and picked up his stack of receipts, pushing his lip out petulantly. “Don’t you have counters to clean or something?” Taehyun smiled, shaking his head and walking around the counter. “Nope. I am here to help you,” he replied. Soobin side-eyed him, stepping over to give him room despite scepticism. “You’re here to spy on me.” Taehyun only winked at him.</p><p>            They did work together for a little while, the clock ticking closer and closer to closing time and still no sign of the pink-haired customer that had taken over Soobin’s thoughts. He really didn’t want to give Taehyun anymore to tease him about, so he did his best to keep his face smooth and his eyes off the door.</p><p>            About ten minutes before closing, the front doorbell jingled. Soobin almost snapped his head up, but he controlled himself and took his time as he brushed his hands off on his apron. They were never that dirty, but books got dusty sometimes. He left the aisle he was in and went towards the front of the store, heart beating excitedly even though he knew it was better to keep his hopes low.</p><p>            When he got to the front counter though, and saw the back of Yeonjun and his pink hair, his face broke into the happiest smile he was almost embarrassed for himself. “Yeonjun-ssi,” he said as he approached. Yeonjun shot up straight and turned around, cheeks already flushed but lips turned up in an adorable smile. “Do you need another book?” Soobin asked. Yeonjun laughed a little, looking down and covering his lips with a few fingers.</p><p>            “No, but um…I do have something to ask for from you,” he answered. Soobin’s brows flew up his forehead as he stayed where he was, looking at the beautiful boy in front of him. “What is it?” he asked, curious. Yeonjun got shy then, pretty crimson colouring his face as he averted his gaze and stared at one of the book posters hanging up on the wall.</p><p>            Just as he opened his mouth, Taehyun appeared out of literally nowhere and slid up to Soobin’s side. His hand found its way to Soobin’s waist, and Soobin’s eyes widened at the intimate touch. Taehyun was never touchy, what the hell was he doing? “Soobin-hyungie,” he said, voice sickeningly sweet. Soobin looked at Taehyun in confusion, but glanced at Yeonjun. He was surprised to see the boy wasn’t blushing, but had in fact paled and backed up a few seconds.</p><p>            “Is there anything else you need me to do before I leave?” Taehyun asked, batting his lashes. What the fuck? Was he purposely trying to interrupt Soobin and Yeonjun? Taehyun never did anything randomly, so Soobin decided to just answer his question politely and get him to leave. “Nope, Taehyunnie, you can go. See you tomorrow!” he chirped, sounding obnoxiously fake.</p><p>Taehyun smiled too widely, eyes scrunching, and then he ruffled Soobin’s hair and skipped off. Soobin watched him for just a second, before turning back to Yeonjun.</p><p>“I’m so sorry, Yeonjun-ssi, that was my—.”</p><p>“Boyfriend, yeah. Fuck, I’m sorry, I should just go.”</p><p>“Wait, what?” Soobin said, heart beating faster. “Taehyun is <em>not </em>my boyfriend, oh my God.” Yeonjun stared at him apprehensively, still embarrassed, but looking more confused now. “He’s not?” he replied hesitantly. Soobin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “No, I have no idea what he was doing. He has his own boyfriend,” he explained.</p><p>Yeonjun considered this, before ducking his head and clasping his hands together. “Maybe I should just go,” he murmured. And he sounded so sad, Soobin knew he couldn’t let him leave like this. He stepped forward, reaching out a hand and resting it on Yeonjun’s elbow. The boy’s head lifted at the touch, and this was closer than they’d ever been before. Soobin suddenly had an up close look at his features, at his rounded cheekbones, pouty and plump lips, sparkling eyes. Fuck, Soobin was developing a crush and developing a crush <em>fast</em>.</p><p>“At least get what you came here for, Yeonjun-ssi,” he whispered. Yeonjun gulped, before taking a deep breath. He moved the arm that Soobin was holding, so Soobin dropped his hand and watched as Yeonjun pulled his phone out of his back pocket. Soobin had suspected this was why the boy had stopped by, but he hadn’t gotten his hopes up. Now, he had butterflies fluttering around his stomach.</p><p>Yeonjun’s eyes met his as he held out his phone, open to a new contact page. “I was wondering if I could have your number,” he breathed, blushing. Soobin felt his cheeks warm, and he smiled as he took Yeonjun’s phone. “So you can text me when you need a new book?” he teased, punching in his information.</p><p>“So I can take you out.”</p><p>After days of shyness, blushing, hidden smiles, and stammered words, Yeonjun finally displayed a show of confidence. And it knocked Soobin off his feet. His eyes widened and his cheeks burned red all the way up to his ears. His lips parted in shock and he handed Yeonjun his phone back wordlessly. His reaction seemed to please Yeonjun, as he smiled and tucked his phone back in his pocket.</p><p>“So, will you? Go out with me?” he asked. Soobin swallowed, before pushing aside his slight nerves and smiling. He nodded. “I’d love to, Yeonjun-ssi,” he replied. Yeonjun’s face split into the most breathtaking smile then, and he even did a little clap. It appeared that Soobin was going to get to meet the true Yeonjun, behind the shy mask. He was embarrassed at how excited he was at the prospect. He had only known—in as loose a definition of the word—the boy for a few days, but he supposed that sometimes that’s all it took.</p><p>“I’ll text you, okay?” Yeonjun said, taking a reluctant step back. Soobin smiled, nodding again. “I look forward to it, Yeonjun-ssi,” he replied. Yeonjun grinned, before bowing his head and taking a few slow steps back, before turning and walking out the front door.</p><p>Soobin watched as he got into a car and pulled out of the lot, and then he locked the front door and ran back to tell Taehyun the good news and ask him what the fuck he had been thinking earlier.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The bell jingled, and Soobin looked up, classic customer-service smile on his face. That is, until he saw who had walked in, and the smile morphed into something softer. “Hi, hyung,” he said, moving from behind the counter to meet Yeonjun halfway. The elder was smiling, holding a bag of takeout, looking precious wrapped up in his scarf and beanie. “Hey, baby. I brought dinner,” he informed, holding up the bag.</p><p>Soobin grinned, kissing Yeonjun’s cheek before going to lock the door and turn off the open sign. When he finished, Yeonjun was already in the closed café, taking out boxes of food. Soobin smiled serenely at his boyfriend—<em>boyfriend!</em>—before taking off his apron to go join him. He walked up behind the boy, resting his hands on his slim waist and bending to kiss his cheek again.</p><p>“Did I ever tell you how amazing you are?” he whispered into his ear. Yeonjun shivered a bit, twisting in Soobin’s arms to cup his face and kiss him gently. “You’re showering me with compliments, Soobin-ah, do you need something?” he asked. Soobin giggled, shaking his head and releasing the boy to sit down. “I’m not allowed to compliment you?” he asked.</p><p>Yeonjun blushed, breaking apart his chopsticks and pushing around his rice. Soobin reached out and touched Yeonjun’s cheeks, feeling that warmth under his fingertips. “Always blushing around me, hyung,” he whispered. Yeonjun rolled his eyes, pushing Soobin’s hand off his cheek playfully. “Shut up.”</p><p>Soobin giggled, but stayed quiet, pulling his food towards him. As he took his first bite, he stared over at Yeonjun, heart beating happily in his chest. He really would have to thank Taehyun for giving Yeonjun the push he needed to ask Soobin for his number.</p>
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